Few firearms manufacturers offer a line of
rifles as diverse as Springfield Armory's. From carbines to camouflage
rifles to wooden-stocked rifles, Springfield Armory has a wide array
of models to fit the needs of practically every shooter. And
every model shares one common trait: Springfield Armory's commitment
to quality.

Perhaps the best-known Springfield Armory
product is the M1A rifle. Patterned after the US military's renowned
M14, the Springfield Armory M1A is one of the most sought-after military
style rifles for match competition. Because Springfield Armory listens
to its customers, the M1A is now available in a wide variety of synthetic
and wooden-stocked versions.

For more about Springfield Armory M1A features,
click here. For a brief history of the M14
and M1a, click here. For M1A and M14 Ballistics
tables, click here.

Click on the links below to view photos and
information on the various Springfield Armory models. To find a Springfield
Armory dealer near you from Gunshopfinder.com's database of subscribing
gun shops, select a state and then click "Submit."

Springfield's M1A is offered in a number of
variations, from the basic GI style rifle to the Super Match. Each
is meant for a specific purpose, and for a specific budget.

The most immediately noticeable difference
between the models is the stocks. The National Match has a heavy walnut
stock that's a deep reddish-brown color. The weight of the stock makes
it more appropriate for match shooting than for carrying in the field.

The camouflage synthetic stock is light weight
but sturdy, lending itself to carry in the woods and field. The black
synthetic stock is strong and light weight as well and, like the camouflage
stock, is less expensive than the wood-stocked models

The walnut stock found on the standard M1A
models is as close as you can get to a real M14. It makes the rifle
weigh almost a pound less than the national match stock, but still
helps deliver outstanding performance.

M1A Receiver

The first time you pick up an M1A, you'll
be struck by its weight. For those who are used to handling rifles
with forged or stamped receivers, the M1A comes as almost a shock.
It has a receiver that's investment cast steel. Tolerances between
the receiver, bolt, activation rod, and other parts is tight, which
is one reason for the M1A's superb accuracy. It's a rifle that will
last for decades, and go tens of thousands of rounds without showing
signs of wear.

M1A Sights

Springfield Armory's M1A rifles come with
a front post sight with "ears" to protect it, and a rear aperture
sight. The rear sight is adjustable for windage and elevation via
knobs on the left and right sides of the sight. The standard rear
sight has one MOA ("Minute Of Angle") adjustments. The National
Match rear sight has 1/2 MOA adjustments, and is built to tighter
specifications for increased accuracy. The National Match rear sight
also has a hood to protect the aperture and shield it from light reflections.

Barrels

Springfield Armory makes a number of different
barrels for the M1A. The National Match M1A uses an air-gauged 22"
stainless steel or parkerized chrome moly steel barrel, giving the
rifle a bit more accuracy than the standard model. For the Super Match
M1A, Springfield doesn't use their own barrels, but instead uses custom
Douglas stainless steel barrels.

The Loaded models use the standard carbon
steel or stainless steel barrels, just like the Standard M1A models.

The National Match and Super Match rifles
have the barrels glass-bedded in the receiver.

The Scout Squad M1A uses an 18" steel
barrel with a muzzle stabilizer designed specifically for that rifle.
The SOCOM rifles have 16" barrels, the shortest allowed by law
without having to register for a short-barreled rifle.

Following World War II, the US
military sought to replace the M1 Garand, which was the GI's main
battle rifle, with a rifle that could do it all: have the accuracy
of the M1 Garand, the lighter carry of the M1 carbine, and the rapid
fire of the M3 (the "Grease Gun") and the BAR (Browning
Automatic Rifle).

Springfield Armory began the
design of such a rifle in the 1950's, starting with the .30-06 cartridge
used in the M1 Garand, and modifying it to make it lighter, but still
as powerful. The result was the 7.62 NATO cartridge.

The military tested many guns,
and settled on Springfield Armory's new cartridge and rifle, designating
the rifle as the M14.

The first rifles were delivered
to troops in 1959. By the time the Army and Marine Corps had completed
their orders, Springfield Armory wound up producing nearly 1.4 million
M14's.

Vietnam was the test of the M14,
and results were mixed. The 7.62 NATO round was very good for penetrating
brush. The M14 also excelled at long-distance shots. In the humid
jungle, though, the wood stock proved to be a liability, as swelling
from moisture affected accuracy.

The plan to have a battle rifle
that was also fully automatic proved to be less than desirable, as
the relatively powerful 7.62 cartridge had far too much recoil to
be controllable under full-auto fire. Most M14's were subsequently
modified for semi-automatic use only. (The wood stocks from the converted
rifles have a cutout in them for the selector lever, just below the
receiver on the right side, but the lever was removed).

By the mid-1960's the M16 had
been fully developed, and proved to be more suitable for jungle warfare.
The M14 was no longer the standard issue rifle, and was "demoted"
to the status of Limited Standard rifle.

The M14 continued to see use
by troops stationed in Europe, and was still prized by many soldiers
in Vietnam who didn't think the M16's 5.56 cartridge had enough "oomph".

The M14 was converted by the
Army into the M21 sniper rifle, a role the rifle filled until 1988.

While the M16 and then the M4
rifles became the mainstay for US forces, the M14 continues to this
day to be used not only for training, but also as sniper and "designated
marksman rifles", and has been used in both Afghanistan and Iraq.

Despite its relatively short
career as a standard issue rifle, the M14 has been the longest-serving
rifle in the US infantry.

With the M14 orders completed,
Springfield Armory of Massachussetts, which had produced firearms
for the military for decades, closed in 1968. LH Manufacturing in
Texas adopted the Springfield Armory name in 1974.

The commercial Springfield Armory
company turned to making a civilian, semi-automatic-only version of
the M14, naming it the M1A. The earliest models of the M1A used surplus
GI parts until Springfield Armory began producing the rifle using
parts that were made entirely in house. You'll sometimes encounter
the early models at gun shows, identifiable by the selector lever
cut-out in the stock.

The Springfield Armory M1A is
nearly identical to the M14 that the company made for the military,
with the lack of full-auto capability being the most significant difference.

Over forty years later, the M14/M1A
is still one of the most sought-after military style rifles, and continues
to be one of the most accurate military rifles ever produced.